【𝙁𝙊𝙂𝙂𝙔】... The Queen of Hawkins High. A heavy reputation, all thanks to her older brother, Steve Harrington, and their mother. In some ways, it was cause of the head injury Angelica received in eight grade, wiping almost all of her middle and...
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chapter nineteen•̩̩͙*ೃ
⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰
"Are you sure you're not going to fall on your ass?"
Eddie Munson rolled his eyes, too occupied to come up with a retort, as he tried to balance himself on the skateboard. But her gaze narrowed when she quickly realized the level of his focus hadn't entirely affected his mouth when he sighed, "I'm very sure, knowing you're right there to catch me."
She chuckled, her eyes glued to his footing as he slightly wobbled on the skateboard. "How many times did you say you've done this?"
"Oh, millions."
"Uh-huh..." Angelica's brow quirked, and a sly grin was etched onto her lips, "I'm pretty sure I've seen toddlers ride skateboards better than you."
"Oh? I bet a toddler couldn't do this..."
In an attempt at some sort of kick-flip maneuver-- the boy fell on the hard pavement of the road. Angelica covered her mouth, muffling a surprised giggle. He groaned and rolled his eyes, as the pain of the impact was starting to take form.
"You just proved my point even further." The brunette girl offered a hand, the proud grin never leaving her face. He took her hand-- and jerked her down. Had she landed a few more inches to the left, she would've been halfway on his lap. She tried not to think about that, as her leg came to rest next to his while they sat on the ground.
The cool spring air kissed their faces as the sultry green trees swayed in the wind's might. There was something melodious about the sound of breeze entangling itself in the grasses and flowers. Something nostalgic, as well.
Angel's hand rested on of his, fingers mere inches from intertwining. But the teen girl got up before that possibility could enter either of their minds. She wiped the pavement dust and rubble off of her jeans, not bothering to lend him help, again.
"No one ever accomplished things by sulking on the ground like a baby. Come on."
With a grunt, Eddie shook his head, smiling, "Jesus, you sound like my mother."
It took a lot to restrain herself-- from prying further. She could never bring herself to be envious of everyone else in her life having a decent relationship with their own mother. No-- in fact, she smiled a little too brightly whenever they would mention their mothers, or tell stories about them. She knew how odd it was, but she paid it no mind, not when her entire life was filled with tears and disappointment, and neglect. She yearned for a closeness with her mother, hugs, kissed, not wrathful words and striking hands.
"She would've liked you."
That is when Angelica's eyes met his dark ones. His dark eyes, that were not filled with sadness or grief, but peace. And she immediately assumed his mother had been gone for a long time, even before that sunny day when she ran through the woods and slumped against the willow tree. He was proof of the fact that time does heal.
The teen girl just smiled. Brightly. He stood off of the ground, bracing his determined eyes over the skateboard.
"Second time's a charm..." Eddie muttered, stepping onto the board with the support of Angel's hands, slipping over his arm in concern.
⊱✩⊰
A dim streetlight pooled on the concrete floor of the shed. That was the only light-- well, except for Eddie's cigarette, that laid between Angelica's lips. The glowing ember on the tip illuminated the girl's fingertips as she handed it over to him. A draft wafted through the cracks of the door and the teen girl pulled the dusty, blue and white quilt up to her chin once the shivers began rooting through her core-- all while a fuzzy warmth buzzed in the same area, as the boy sitting next to her suddenly traced the line of her cheekbone, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear in the process.
She wanted, desperately, to feel that comfort that laced his touch, but she couldn't stop watching the shed door. Could not stop staring at the dark, mocking silhouette. As soon as her eyes turned unnervingly dry, she closed them, feeling her head drawing closer to Eddie's shoulder.
Moments went by and the teen girl could not keep her eyes from that door. The shadows. No matter how close she was to the safety him.
"I'm terrified, Munson." It fell from her lips as a small whisper, one the coiling darkness couldn't even register. But he did.
Eddie slowly snaked his arm around her back, those damned cold rings singing the bare skin of her exposed waist. With two fingers, he took the cigarette from his mouth and stubbed it in a nearby ashtray, using his now-free hand to guide her face towards him.
"Yeah, I know my haircut's bad but I didn't necessarily think it'd be scary." A low chuckle. One Angelica couldn't even force herself to return.
She just smiled at his sarcastic comment, rolling her dry eyes. "It is not that bad."
He opened his mouth to speak, but the faintest noise of creaking and shuffling carried itself from Rick's house, and both of them jumped up, staring straight out the window.
The lights were on and multiple shadows danced through the interior. People were inside.
Practically crawling on the floor, Eddie made his way to sit under the window of the shed, pulling Angelica alongside him, hand-in-hand.
"What are the odds that Reefer Rick has come back to crash for the night?" Angel quietly muttered, keeping her eyes dead-on the house above.
"Fucking none... he's been out of town for weeks."
It wasn't the fact that people were mere yards away from their hiding spot that was scaring the teen girl, but that small glint of panic in Eddie's brown eyes that had shivers crawling up her spine.
A figure appeared in one of the windows and Angelica covered her mouth in order to muffle her surprised gasp. When the figure never walked off, she immediately panicked. Whoever it was had spotted them and there was no way off getting out-- other than walking straight out of the shed door, but that was complete suicide. Like dangling themselves in front of the hungry tiger.
She looked around, scanning the room for other escape routes that provided even the slimmest chance of not being seen. That was when her eyes landed on that boat, covered in that blue tarp.
With wide eyes, Angelica gripped his arm, fingers so tight it probably would leave a bruise later on. "Eddie. We have to row."
"What?"
Before any explanation was given, the teen girl loosened her grip on his arm and practically sprinted over to bobbing boat. She ripped the tarp off in one sharp pull and scooped a small amount of clutter from the bottom. Eddie was already by her side as she threw oars in the boat, except he had quickly walked past, kneeling on the floor to untie the ropes. In a matter of seconds, the two of them had jumped in, pushing themselves forward with the help of the nearby wooden pillars.
The rush of the escape had the teen girl panting, and she ignored the strain of protest in her arms as she rowed and rowed with that oar she was practically white-knuckling.
The front door of the shed flung open, and it was Jason, as well as Patrick, who now stood in the shed, staring straight at Angelica, as she almost dropped the oar in the lake out of pure shock.
Please excuse any typos/mistakes, I did not proof-read just yet, thank you.
